What it takes to earn $70,000 per year painting roller coasters
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Jason Prather was 32 years old when he grew-up in Edgewood. For his high school, he played all the sports possible: basketball, football and baseball. To make extra cash, he repaired boats and automobiles.
Prather was a high school graduate. He tried college, but quickly returned to his home. Prather started to work for a credit-card company that called borrowers who were behind on their payment. This was often when his friends got mad. — a job he remembers as “horrible.”
Prather spent eight years at the nearby wastewater treatment facility earning approximately $90,000. Prather quit his job in spite of the excellent pay. He went on to sell electrical equipment for $70,000 per annum. He discovered that he could use a bicycle to get between the various places he’d lived and worked.
I never had the opportunity to travel. My work commute was only 15 minutes. Prather states that while I was always home, I had good vacation, perks, and other luxuries. However, it was easy to become complacent. I stayed right where my home was. “I wanted to travel, see more and experience more.”
Prather is a project manager for Baynum Painting, a rollercoaster painting company. He earns approximately $70,000 annually.
This is how and why he made a change:
Get the job
Prather met his cousin at Baynum and learned how to paint roller coasters. Baynum employed his cousin, Prather. He encouraged him to apply and get a job as a painter.
Prather submitted his application after having an awkward conversation with his father about the decision to leave his family’s business. After a typical interview, Prather began his career as a general artist in 2019.
He said, “I started at entry-level like many people,” This job requires a hands-on approach to training. The majority of training takes place in the field. Our employees are well-retained, and I was able to learn most of my training from men who have been in the field for 30-40 years.
Additionally, he was awarded several certificates in construction from OSHA.
Prather describes how the crew uses tall cherry-picker elevators to get around the ride’s parts. “We have multiple certifications. “I have the lifting certifications that allowed me to be on the job and learn how the lift works around the job.”
Prather started his career as a general artist and was soon recognized for his abilities to work with teams. Prather was appointed project foreman in 2021.
Prather says, “I am responsible for getting the crew to site and getting them rolling. Also, I’m in charge sourcing lifts and sourcing material paint sundry.” Prather says, “This position has been my official job for six months.”
Prather is a project foreman and makes $23 an-hour in Kentucky. Prather also gets 15% when traveling. Prather can earn overtime when he works 40 or more hours per week.
Prather worked in amusement parks in more than 20 states. He has also worked in France and Japan. His experience includes rides on Six Flags Universal Studios and Cruise Ships. Prather believes that Prather spent approximately 1500 hours overtime and six months on the road this year.
One day at the job
Prather says that a typical workday is dependent on weather conditions. We like to get started as soon as possible, as long as it’s sunny and dry. When the sun is rising, most of us are already working. We often stay on the job until the very end.
Most days this means being on-site by 6:00 a.m. and ending work when the sun goes down.
Clean up is the first thing to do on the first day.
It all depends on how difficult the job is. Prather describes that sometimes there are coasters to which we must walk, other times we use ladders. But we always start with cleaning. We use 5,000 PSI pressure washers and sometimes heat units. Heaters are used to remove grease buildup. We sometimes do sandblasting, and other times we grind rust.
Prather, along with his crew, work next to prime the areas of the amusements susceptible to water retention such as bolts or bare spots.
Last, apply topcoats of paint or special moisture-resistant substances in the case water slides.
Prather, his crew use standard house brushes and rollers for these roller coasters. They also wear hard hats and boots.
It’s possible to view the entire world.
Prather states that while the work is sometimes hard and exciting, it can also be very rewarding.
He said, “Sometimes it’s 13-14 hours per day in a lift.” “I never was afraid of heights. I would say I’ve always respected heights … But I enjoy getting to climb up and go see roller coasters. I get a bit of adrenaline from it.
Prather is also a fan of the painting and cleaning processes.
He says that the work is satisfying in its own right. “Seeing the coasters or water slides in dire need of repairs and then being able watch the entire process from start to finish and seeing all of the people in the park actually looking up at you and taking pictures is quite rewarding.
While he admits it can be difficult to maintain close relationships at home with his family (Prather’s girlfriend works as a speech-language pathologist in a Kentucky school district), Pather says that he is thankful to have been able to explore the rest of the world through his work.
Prather states, “The beauty in getting to travel to places that I never would have seen elsewhere” “I’ve gotten to see a lot of things that I would never get to experience or see on my own — visiting all the different continents, traveling around the world, going to foreign and different locations, as well as trying different foods and seeing different cultures. This plus knowing I accomplished something personal.
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